Waterbury



(No Model.)

H. T. SPERRY. LAOI NG HOOK.

No. 486,958. v Patented Sept. 23, 1- 90- Nrrnn STATES P TENT OFFICE.

HENRY T. SPERRY, OF \VATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SCOVILL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LAClNG-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 436,958, dated September 23, 1890. Application filed January 27, 1390 Serial No. 338,190. (No model!) T0 to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY T. SPERRY, of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Lacing- Hooks; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a side view of the hook complete enlarged; Fig. 2, an end view looking toward the opening into the hook; Fig. 3, the blank from which the hook is formed.

This invention relates to an improvement in the construction of hooks whichare adapted to be applied togloves on each side of the wrist-opening and so that a lacing-cord may be interlaced with the series of hooks upon opposite sides, and thereby secure the glove around the wrist. Heretofore these hooks have been constructed consisting of a head and a shank, by which they are secured to the glove, the head projecting outward from the opening and so as to leave a space between it and the surface of the glove for the introduction of the cord under the head into the hook. The construction has been such that the outer side of the head would stand so near the surface of the leather that the space between the leather and the head would be less than the diameter of the cord employed for lacing, and so that as the cord is drawn into the hook under the head the leather will yield for the passage of the cord, and then reacting will so close the opening into the hook as to prevent accidental escape of the cord; but in the use of these hooks the wear of the cord upon the surface of the leather or glove is very great and soon defaces the leather around the. lacing-hooks.

The object of my invention is to provide this class of hooks with a spring upon the outer surface of the glove under the head to form a contracted opening into the hook, the spring yielding for the introduction or withdrawal of the cord, and the spring also serving as a guard on the surface of the leather to prevent contact of the cord with the leather; and in such a hook my invention consists.

The hook, spring, andfastening-prongs are made from a single piece of sheet metal, the blank shown in Fig. 3.

a represents the body portion; 1), the neck portion; 0, the head portion, the neck and head projecting from one side of the body a, and upon the opposite side is a tongue (Z, which is to form the spring. From the sides of the body at right angles to the neck and spring prongs e e project. The head 0 is bent over the body and spring portion, as seen in Fig. 1, the neck portion 19 forming the hook or bearing against which the lacing-cord may rest. The prongs e e are turned downward parallel with each other, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The spring stands beneath the head, and is preferably curved upward to give a convex surface upon its upper side directly beneath the head, the space between the spring and the head being less than that between the body and the head, as seen in Fig. 1, so that the entrance into the hook is directed by the spring. The spring is adapted to yield, as seen in broken lines, Fig. 1, for the entrance of the cord into the hook. Then under itsreaction it will return and so close the opening as to prevent the accidental escape of the cord, the spring, however, yielding to an outward pull upon the cord. The neck or hook portion 1) is made rounded upon its inner surface in the usual manner. The shape of the head also may be that of the usual construction or anyot-her desirable shape.

\Vhen applied to the glove, the spring cl stands upon the outer surface and operates as a guard to prevent contact between the cord and the leather as the cord is forced into or out of the hook.

It will be understood that the usual clinch ing-plate is applied upon the under side of the glove, upon which the prongs of the hook may be clinched.

From the foregoing it will be understood that I do not claim, broadly, a lacing-hook provided with prongs by which it may be secured to the outer surface of the glove; but

hat I do claim is Theherein-describedlacing-hook,composed of the body A, the neck B, projecting from one side thereof, turned upward and terminating over the body in a head C, the securing prongs E E, projecting from opposite sides of the body and adapted to pass through the material to which the prong is to be attached, and a spring d, projecting from the body opposite the neck and so as to stand below the head, the whole constructed from a single [0 piece of metal, substantially as and for the purpose described.

HENRY T. SPERRY. Witnesses: I

T. R. HYDE, J12, M. L. SPERRY. 

